Heat treating machine



Jan. 19, 1943. H, E; soMEs HEAT TREATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F||||||| lllilllllllllxll INVENTOR How and E S omes PICIi A TTORNE Y Jan. 19, 1943. H. E. SOMES HEAT TREATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J m Q I w O a Z A 9 2 an 5 3 O g E 1 w I: i 1 PW 3 O 4 n o :i 7 i H 1 1 m 5 00 HI- a 2 INVENTOR Howard E. S omes A TTORNE I N VEN TOR ATTORNEY H. E. SOMES HEAT TREATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 19,, 1943.

Howard E. Somes w A m Q V :IV t n n wmwwww d A Z s d 8 w @Hm 1 m .1 4 w Jan. 19, 1943. H. E. SOMES HEAT TREATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

Filed Dec.

T $1 wDSDEDSkBDDDDEfiDBI I wil INVENTOR Howard P. S mQS ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 19, 1943 HEAT TREATING MACHINE Howard E. Somes, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., assignor to Budd Induction Heating, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Michigan Application December 4, 1939, Serial No. 307,386

16 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to heat-treating and in particular to apparatus for heating and quenching metallic objects for the purpose of hardening the same or otherwise varying the physical characteristics of the same or a portion thereof, and is in the nature of an improvement of my Patent Number 2,281,331, granted April 28, 1942, .for Induction heat-treating apparatus.

In that application there is disclosed a complete machine for hardening the inside of hollow cylindrical objects such as the hubs of antomobile wheels, railway car wheels or the like by electro-magnetic induction, and wherein is provided a work holder with means for clamping the work-piece in the holder in position to be operated on by heating and quenching means in proper sequence, the clamping means being releasable to enable the removal of the work-piece from the machine after treatment.

The present invention provides certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of the quenching means and provides means operating in combination with the quenching means to facilitate ready removal of the work-piece from the machine after treatment.

In machines for heat-treating the inner surface portions of hollow metallic objects by electromagnetic induction, a minimum clearance between the surface being treated and the heating element is desirable for maximum efl'iciency, and to attain such minimum clearance, an accurate centering of the work-piece relative to the heating element is essential which necessitates a snug fit between the work-piece and the centering means resulting in some tendency to bind. Accurate centering, in most cases, also requires the use of a work holder enclosing the greater part of the work-piece, thus rendering it more or less inaccessible for ready removal from the machine. The above-mentioned conditions make desirable some form of means for forcibly releasing the work-piece from the holder and preferably for moving it partially out of the holder to render it more readily accessible for complete re. moval from the machine by an operator.

Even where there is substantially no binding, the work of unloading the machine is greatly expedited by partial displacement of the workpiece out of the holder. Especially is this true of a flanged hub such as those used in automobile wheels, where the hub is centered by partial encasement of the flange in a suitable holder and where it is most desirable to handle the article by th relatively cool flanged portion in removing it; from the machine after the quenching opera on.

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide in combination with the work work-piece out of the holder to enable ready removal thereof.

The above main object is attained by providing, in combination with a spray nozzle movable into and out of spraying position relative to the work-piece, an abutment carried by the spray nozzle and so arranged as to engage the workpiece upon, or shortly after movement of the nozzle into spraying position so that after release of the clamping means, a continued movement of the nozzl will dislodge the work-piece and effect an ejection or partial ejection of the work-piece from the holder. Preferably, the nozzle is arranged to be moved into spraying relation, with the abutment element in engagement with the work-piece, under continuous pressure as by fluid pressure exerted through a suitable working piston and cylinder, the pressure being maintained after movement of the nozzle into quenching position and the work-piece held against displacement by releasable clamping means so that immediately upon release of the clamping means, the work-piece will be dislodged or partly ejected from the holder.

Alternatively, the force for effecting the further movement of the nozzle to eject the workpiece may be withheld during the quenching and applied only upon or after release of the clamping means.

A further object is the provision of improved means for controlling the movement of the work holder.

Another object is to provide for substantial instantaneous, copious flow of quenching fluid to the nozzle.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification and the drawings accompanying the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a. front elevational view partly in section of a portion of a complete machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a large-scale plan view of the rotatable work holder;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 4a constitute a vertical axial section of the nozzle and ejecting means with apiustable work platform II which remains fixed V relative to the frame during operation of the machine and therefore may be considered part of the stationary supporting frame, on which part is mounted the work support l2 for holding the work-piece l3 in proper centered relation to the heating element l4 mounted on the supporting frame "I.

Referring now to the detail Figures 2 to 4, in combination with the main Figure 1, it will be seen that there is mounted on the platform I l a large work cylinder provided with a work piston l6 (Figures 4 and 4a) carrying a hollow piston rod I! connected at its lower end Ha to a yolk member l8 (Figure 1) for raising and lowering the work support I2 through the connecting rods I9.

The work support i2 carries a rotatable work holder 29, rotatably mounted in the support l2 by means of the V-shaped bearing ring 2| slidable in the complementary annular-shaped trough 22, the work holder being rotated by means of a worm gear 23 and worm ring 24 driven'through bevel gears 25 (Figure 2) by an electric motor 26.

The work piece I 3, in the present instance a flanged automobile hub, is held centered in position in the work holder by means of a ring-shaped adaptor element 27 fastened to the holder by suitable cap screws 28, an accurate and true centering being effected by means of a plurality of positioning lugs one of which is shown at 29. To insure a positive holding of the work in the desired centered position, clamping means are provided in the form of a pair of chucking jaws 30 mounted on the bottom of the work holder support I 2 and arranged to be moved into engagement with the lower'end of the work piece by means of suitable fluid operated work-cylinders 3 I Each chucking jaw is arranged to be operated by its work cylinder through a piston rod 32 carried at the end of a hollow cylindrical piston element 33 normally held by a compression spring 34 in its radial innermost position to normally hold the chucking jaw in clamping position under spring tension, fluid under pressure being admitted to the forward side of the pistons through the supply pipes 35 to retract the jaws into open position to release the work-piece.

I! and extending beyond the ends thereof is a secured. Arranged within the work cylinder 36 is a slidable piston 31 which carries a tubular piston rod 38. The piston rod 38 carries at its upper end, as shown in Figure 4, a nozzle 4| through the medium of a nozzle shank 40 and interconnecting union 39. The quenching nozzle 41 receives quenching fluid through the shank 40 and union 39 from the bore of the piston rod 38. This arrangement provides means for moving the quenching nozzle 4| into and out of quenching position relative to the interior of the work-piece I3, and also provides the driving means for forcibly ejecting the work-piece from the holder after quenching. Ejection of the work-piece is effected by means of the abutment shoulder 42 on the nozzle shank 40, the abutment being spaced a suflicient distance below the nozzle to engage the shoulder of the rabbeted portion 43 in the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into quenching position relative to the work-piece.

Working fluid, preferably air, is admitted to the cylinder 35 below its piston 31 through an inlet opening 44 in the lower cylinder head 45 by way of the supply, pipe 46 from a suitable source of fluid pressure supply. The stroke of the piston 31 as determined by the distance between the top of the piston and a shoulder-stop 41 arranged intermediate the ends of work cylinder 38, is such as to afford a stroke sufllcient to move the nozzle 4| from the normal position shown to a quenching position within the work-piece with the abutment 42 in engagement with the shoulder of the rabbeted portion 43 in the work-piece, and with further movement to spare, suflicient to dislodge or eject the work piece from the holder after release of the clamping means 38.

To control the supply of quenching fluid to the nozzle, the cylinder head 45 is provided with a sleeve-valve cylinder 48 extending downwardly therefrom and provided in its side wall with a quenching fluid inlet port 49 and at its lower end with a closure cap 58. The tubular piston rod 38 extends down through the cylinder head into the sleeve-valve cylinder in sliding contact with the inner wall past the inlet port 49 to open and close the same in the sliding movement of the piston rod, the piston rod being open at its bottom end 5| to admit quenching fluid thereinto from the inner chamber 52 in the sleeve-valve extension 48. The quenching fluid is supplied to the inlet port 49 from a suitable source not shown through a supply conduit 53 provided with a suitable control valve such as the control valve 54.- It is to be understood that the parts just described are so proportioned that with the tubular piston rod 38 and nozzle 4! in the lowered position shown in Figures 4 and 4a, the communication between the port 49 and the interior chamber 52 of the sleevevalve extension 48 will be cut off and will remain so until the piston rod has moved upwardly a dis tance sufficient to place the quenching nozzle in quenching position relative to the work-piece, in which position the open bottom end of the tubular piston rod will be above the port 49 permitting flow of quenching fluid into the chamber 52, and up through the hollow piston rod to-the nozzle 4!.

Inasmuch as it is sometimes desired to rotate the work-piece I3 during the quenching operation with the abutment shoulder 42 pressed upwardly against the work-piece under pressure of the operating fluid acting on the work-piston 31. rotation of the nozzle and consequent unnecessary wear is prevented by use of a key way 55 in the piston rod 38 engaged by a key 56 held in the upper cylinder-head portion 51 of the work cylinder 36.

The means for supplying working fluid to the work cylinder i5 is similar to that shown and described in my copending application above referred to but it improves thereupon in the construction of the means for cushionin the end of the stroke. The present arrangement provides for such cushioning without retardation of initiation of the stroke. Here, working fluid is supplied to the bottom of the cylinder \through an inlet port 58 and check valve 59 in the cylinder head 61 and communicating with the cylinder for forcing the piston i6 upwardly, the fluid in the top of the cylinder exhausting first through the end chamber 60 into the inlet-outlet duct GI and later upon closure of the chamber 60 by the closure extension 62, through the bypass duct 63 controlled by a suitable bleed valve 64, thus providing a cushioning at the end of the stroke which may be regulated by suitable adjustment of the valve 64. Conversely, for downward movement of the piston, operating fluid is admitted into the inlet-outlet duct 6| and from thence to the upper end of the work cylinder through the downwardly opening check valve 65, while fluid is permitted to exhaust from the bottom of the piston through the central opening 66 in the lower cylinder-head 61 around the sides of the piston rod l1 until such opening is closed by the enlarged portion 68 near the upper end of the piston rod whereafter the exhaust takes place through the bypass duct 69 controlled by bleed valve 10, thus providing a cushioning at the end of the stroke regulated by suitable adjustment of the bleed valve.

It is to be understood that the inlet-outlet chambers 58 and 60 are arranged to be con nected through the connecting conduits II and 12 with suitable fluid control mechanism not shown.

The larger work cylinder l for raising and lowering the work holder may be operated with either gas or liquid operating fluid but preferably the latter where accurate control of rate of movement is required as where the work is to be moved downwardly relative to the heating element for progressive heating of the work-piece. 0n the other hand where it is desirable to efiect rapid movement of the work-piece relative to the heating element as where the entire portion to be heat treated is so treated at one time making it desirable to effect a substantially instantaneous relative movement of the heating element and work-piece out of operative relation, a gaseous fluid such as air is desirable. Where a liquid is used such as oil, the annular oil grooves 13 are utilized to collect oil seeping down along the outside of the hollow piston rod H, the lower oil groove being provided with a drain opening 14. Where air is used this drain opening may be closed with a plug 15 as here shown.

As it is most always desirable to eflect a quick movement of the quenching nozzle into and out of quenching position, the present inventlortprovides for the use of a gaseous motor fluid such as air' instead of utilizing the quenching liquid for this purpose as heretofor provided in the aforementioned copending prior application. I have thus provided for separation of the motor fluid and the quenching liquid by arranging the hollow piston rod carrying the nozzle, to pass through the lower cylinder-head into the cylinder sleeve-valve chamber from whence it receives the quenching fluid.

To prevent the seepage of overflow water from the nozzle down into the space between the tubular piston-rod extension or union 39 and the cylinder extension 16, I provide a packing gland l1 and packing I8 surrounding the upper end of the piston extension or union 39.

To dispose of the overflow water from the nozzle. the central portion of the platform II on which the operating cylinders are supported is depressed to form a fluid trap basin arranged to be drained by a suitable drainage pipe 19 (Figure 1).

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the a position shown in solid lines in the various drawings, the work-piece l3, in the present case a flanged automobile hub, which is to be hardened at and near the interior bearing surface is placed in the work holder 20 and clamped therein in centered position relative to the heating element I 4 by means of the chucking jaws 30, which after placement of the work-piece in the holder are moved radially inwardly into clamping engagement with the work-piece by means of their respective compression springs. 34 upon release of fluid from the working cylinders by way of the inlet-outlet pipes 35, such a working fluid having been forced in through the pipes 35 to retract the chucking jaws before loading of the machine. Accurate centering of the hub is assured by the centering lugs 29, of which, it is to be understood, there are several spaced around the holder in position to fit into corresponding openings in the hub, which openings may be the usual bolt shank openings on which are mounted the shanks of the bolts used for attaching a demountable wheel.

With the work-piece thus in position, the heating element l4 and the interior portion 80 of the work-piece to be heated are brought into operative relation effected by a movement of the work-piece into heating relation with the heating element. The inlet-outlet chamber 58 of the large work cylinder is connected through the conduit 1| with a suitable source of working fluid under pressure, which fluid passing up through the upwardly opening check valve 59 into the large work cylinder and against the bottom of the piston IE will raise the piston to its uppermost position. During the upward stroke of the piston, the fluid contained in the work cylinder above the piston passes out of the inlet-outlet chamber 6| by way of the central opening 60 until near the end of the stroke when the opening 60 is closed off by the upper enlarged end 62 of the piston rod ll, after which the upward movement is retarded by the fluid remaining above the piston and retarded in its outflow through the bypass duct 63 by the bleed valve 64, the exhaust passing out through bypass 63, inlet-outlet chamber 6i and conduit 12. This upward movement of the piston carries with it the piston rod ll, yolk l8, (Figure 1) connecting rods l9, work holder 20 and work piece [3 to elevate the work-piece in posit on to bring the heating element l4 into operative relation withthe surface portion to be heat treated. The heating element is then put into operation to raise the surface portion 80 to the desired temperature after which the heating element is deenergized and the work-piece I3 immediately moved downwardly out of operative relation with the heating element by return of the work holder to the normal position shown. Such return movement of the work holder is effected by connecting the lower conduit H to a suitable exhaust channel, not shown, to permit the working fluid to exhaust from the cylinder through the central opening 66 in the lower cylinder head 61 around the side of the piston rod I1, into the inlet-outlet chamber 58 and thence out through the conduit ll, the piston being forced down by the connection of the top conduit 12 w th :1. suitable source of working fluid under pressure,

which working fluid enters the top of the cylinder through the downwardly opening checkvalve 65. Near the end of 'the downward stroke of the piston the enlarged upper portion 88 of the piston rod entering the central opening 58, closes the same forcing the fluid remaining in the bottom of the cylinder to enter the chamber 58 by way of the bypass duct 69 and bleed valve 10 thus cushioning the end portion of the'stroke.

The work-piece I: now again in the normal position shown but still at the hardening temperature throughout the inner portion which it is desired to harden, is ready for immediate quenching. To effect this, operating fluid, preferably air, is led through the conduit 46 to the inlet opening 44 in the lower cylinder-head of the nozzle operating work cylinder 38, which entering below the piston 31 forces the latter upwardly against the tension of the compression spring II and with it the hollow piston rod 38 and nozzle element 4|, the nozzle 4| moving up into the work-piece to position the nozzle within the hollow of the work-piece with the abutment 42 in engagement with the shoulder of the rabbeted portion 43 of the work-piece, and the nozzle within the hollow of the work-piece in quenching position. The upward movement of the tubular piston rod to raise the nozzle into this quenching position, moves the lower open end of the tubular piston rod up above the inlet port- 49 in the sleeve-valve extension 48 to admit quenching liquid into the chamber 52 within the sleeve-valve extension and thence up through the hollow piston rod 38, union 39 and nozzle shank 40 to the nozzle ll and out through the openings 82 against the interior of the workpiece to flush the same with a copious supply of quenching fluid. The quenching fluid flowing down through the opening in the work-piece and around the sides of the nozzle shank and over the top of the work-piece around the flange, drains down into the drainage basin formed by the central depressed portion of the platform H and out through the drainagepipe 19. After the work-piece is sufficiently quenched, the supply of quenching fluid is discontinued by operation of the valve 54 to shut off the flow of fluid through the conduit 53, after which operating fluid is admitted to the work cylinder 3| through the conduits 35 to retract the chucking jaws 30 radially outwardly, thus releasing the work-. piece, which is partially displaced out of the holder into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 by further upward movement of the quenching nozzle ll under pressure of the working fluid supplied to the bottom of the-piston 31, this movement being transmitted to the workpiece by engagement of the abutment 42 with the shoulder of the rabbeted portion 43. The work piece .thus dislodged from its nested relation with the work holder 20 and adaptor ring 21, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 leaves the hub flange free of the adaptor ring whereby the workpiece may be lifted out of the machine by the relatively cool flange. After removal of the work-piece the supply of actuating medium for the piston 31 is terminated, whereupon the nozzle is forced down into the normal position shown under tension of the compression spring ll pressing downwardly against the top of the piston 31.

I It will be clear that where desired, by suitable manipulation of the control of the operating fluid to the nozzle operating work cylinder, in timed relation to the other parts of the machine, the

asoavee force for eifecting the further movement of the nozzle to eject the work-piece may be withheld during the quenching step and applied only, and if necessary with greater force after release of the clamping means. The nozzle may be slightly retracted before release of the clamping means and after release of the clamping means moved to bring the abutment 42 into engagement with the rabbeted portion 43 with some hammer-blow action to enable any binding of the work-piece and the holder to be overcomewithout substantial increase in the driving force beyond that necessary to overcome the'weight of the workpiece, and raise it after dislodgment.

A great advantage ofthe use of the check valves is and in relatively large by-pass channels around the small needle-valve control channels 69 and 63, respectively, is that it affords a direct passage of large cross section for the flow of working fluid into the cylinder directly against the piston to effect initiation of the working stroke in either direction without undue retardation. This is of special importance where it is desirable to move a work holder at substantially uniform speed from the beginning to near the end of such movement as where the work 'is moved relative to the heating coil during energization of the coil for progressive heat treatment of the work-piece.

It is also to be noted that a most desirable feature of the provision of the large, straight through-passage for conducting quenching fluid to the nozzle as provided by the tubular piston rod 38 extending down into the sleeve valve cylinder 48 is that it permits of instantaneous and copious supply of quenching fluid to the quenching nozzle. The fact that the lower portion of the nozzle and the entire tubular piston rod 38 remains filled with quenching fluid after closure of the inlet port 48 and retraction of the nozzle, insures the instantaneous supply of fluid to the nozzle upon opening of the port 4!.

While I have herein shown and described a specific preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of disclosure, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such specific embodiment but contemplates all such modifications and variants as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: a

1. In an apparatus for quenching a heate work-piece, the combination of a supporting frame, a work holder mounted on said frame,

clamping means for holding a work-piece on the holder, a quenching nozzle mounted on said frame for movement into and out of, operative relation with awork-piece clamped on said work holder, an abutment on the nozzle for movement therewith and for engagement with the workpiece upon movement oi-the nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece, and means for moving said nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece with the said abutment in abutting relation with the work-piece and for urging said abutment to'eject the work-piece from the holder, whereby the work-piece will be ejected from the holder upon releaseof the clamping means. a

2. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a supporting frame, a work holder mounted on said frame, clamping means for holding a work-piece on the holder, a quenching nozzle mounted on said frame for movement into and out of operative relation with a workpiece clamped on said work holder, an abutment on the nozzle for movement therewith and for engagement with the workpiece upon movement of the nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece, and means for moving said nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece with the said abutment in abutting relation with the work-piece and for urging said abutment to eject the work-piece from the holder whereby the work-piece will be ejected from the holder upon release of the clamping means, together with means for rotating said holder and means for preventing rotation of said abutment.

3. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of releasable holding means for holding the work-piece, a quench- 1 ing nozzle arranged to be moved into and out of quenching position relative to the work-piece, means for controlling the release of said holding means, and an abutment carried by the nozzle for dislodging the work-piece from the holder upon extended movement of the nozzle beyond the quenching position.

4. In apparatus for quenching a heated workpiece, the combination of a holder for the workpiece, a quenching nozzle arranged to be moved into quenching position relative to a work-piece held in said holder, an abutment carried by the nozzle, continuous pressure means for moving the nozzle into quenching position and the abutment into a position tending to dislodge the work-piece from the holder, and releasable clamping means for clamping the work-piece in the holder against thedislodging tendency of the said pressure means.

5. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a quenching nozzle, an abutment carried by said nozzle arranged to abut the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into quenching position relative to the work-piece, continuous pressure means for moving the nozzle into quenching position, releasable holding means for holding the workpiece against displacement by said abutment, and control means for said releasable holding means.

6. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a quenching nozzle, an abutment carried by said nozzle arranged to abut the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into quenching position relative to the work-piece, holding means for holding the workpiece against displacement bysaid abutment, means for releasing said holding means, and means for forcibly moving the nozzle beyond the quenching position to effect displacement of the work-piece by said abutment. I

'7. In an-apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a holder for the work-piece, releasable clamping means for clamping the work-piece in the holder, 9. quenching nozzle arranged to be moved into operating relation with a work-piece held by said holder, an abutment carried by said nozzle, means for releasing said clamping means, and means for moving said nozzle to bring the abutment forcibly into engagement with the work-piece to eject the same.

8. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a supporting frame, a work holder mounted on said frame, clampingmeans for holding a work-piece on the holder, a quenching nozzle mounted on said frame for movement into and out of operative relation with a work-piece clamped on said work holder, an abutment carried by the nozzle for engagement with the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into operative relation with the workpiece, means for moving said nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece with the said abutment in abutting relation with the workpiece and for urging said abutment to eject the work-piece from the holder, whereby the workpiece will be ejected from the holder upon release of the clamping means, and automatic means for connecting a supply of quenching fluid with the nozzle operable upon movement of the nozzle in operative relation with the work-piece. 1

9. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a supporting frame, a work holder mounted on said frame, clamping means for holding a work-piece on the holder, a. quenching nozzle mounted on said frame for movement into and out of operative relation with the Work-piece clamped on said work holder, said nozzle being carried by a tubular piston rod and in communication therewith for receiving a supply of quenching fluid therethrough, a work cylinder and piston for moving the piston rod, the end of the piston rod remote from the nozzle being open and extending through the end of the work cylinder into a sleeve valve cylinder, said sleeve valve cylinder having a port for admitting quenching fluid thereinto and arranged to be opened and closed by movement of the tubular piston rod in the sleeve valve cylinder in the movement of the rod to move the quenching nozzle into and out of operative engagement with the work-piece, an abutment carried by the nozzle arranged to abut the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece, means,

for supplying working fluid to the working cylinder to move the nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece and to hold the abutment in engagement withthe work-piece and urge said abutment'to eject the work-piece, whereby the work-piece will be ejected from the holder upon release of the clamping means.

10. In an apparatus for quenching a, h ated work-piece, the combination of a supporting frame, a work holder mounted on said frame, a work cylinder mounted on the frame, a cylinder head at one end of the work cylinder, an outer sleeve-valve cylinder extending from the said cylinder head, a piston in said work cylinder, a tubular piston rod for the piston extending through the head of the cylinder into the sleeve-valve cylinder in communication with the nterior of the sleeve-valve cylinder and in sliding contact with the inner wall of the latter, said sleeve-valve cylinder havin an inlet port in its wall arranged to be closed and opened by sa 1d piston rod, a quenching nozzle carried by said piston rod arranged to be supplied with quenching fluid through said rod and to be moved by the rod into and out of operative relation with a work-piece held by said holder, means for supplying a power transmitting fluid to the work cyhnder, and means for supplying a quenching fluid to the said inlet port.

11. An apparatus for-heat-treating a hollow work-piece comprising a supporting frame, a heating element mounted on said frame, alarge Work-cylinder mounted on the frame, a work piston for the cylinder, a hollow piston rod for said piston, a work holder carried by said piston rod for movement to and away from said heating element, said holder being arranged to hold a work-piece having an opening therethrough in a position to receive the heating element in the opening in the work-piece upon movement of the holder toward the heating element, means for clamping the work-piece on the holder, a small work-cylinder mounted on the supporting frame concentric with the large work-cylinder and extending through the hollow piston rod,

a cylinder head at one end of the small workbe closed and opened by said tubular piston rod,

a quenching nozzle carried by the tubular rod and in communication with the interior thereof for receiving a supply of quenching fluid therefrom and arranged to be moved by the tubular rod into and out of the opening in a work-piece held by said holder, an abutment on said nomle arranged to engage the work-piece upon movement of the nozzle into operative relation with the work-piece, means for supplying an elastic fluid to the said small work-cylinder to move the nozzle and abutment into engagement with the work-piece and maintain the abutment in abutting relation with the work-piece under pressure of the said operating fluid, tending to eject the work-piece from the holder whereby the workpiece will be ejected upon release of the clamping means.

12. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a quenching nozzle arranged to be moved into and out of operative relation with the work-piece, a tubular supporting rod carrying said nozzle and slidably mounted for movement of the nozzle into and out of operative position, a sleeve valve cylinder arranged to house the end of the tubular rod opposite the nozzle, said latter end of the tube opening into the sleeve valve cylinder and a sleeve valve port in said cylinder arranged to be opened and closed in the movement of the tubular rod to control the supply of quenching fluid into the cylinder and through the tubular rod to the quenching nozzle. I

13. In an apparatus for quenching a heated work-piece, the combination of a stationary sleeve valve chamber, a tubular rod mounted to slide substantially vertically within said chamber, a quenching nozzle carried by the upper end of said tubular rod to receive a supply of fluid therethrough and to move into and out of operative relation with the work-piece in the sliding movement of th hollow tubular rod and a valve port in said sleeve valve chamber arranged to be opened and closed in the movement of the rod.

' 14. Inan apparatus for heat treating a workpiece, a work holder for the work-piece to be heat treated, a heating element, a quenching element, means for eifecting relative movement between said work holder and heating and quenching elements comprising a work cylinder and piston therefor, an inlet-outlet port for each end of the work cylinder, means for closing each port near the end of the piston stroke at such port, a bleed-duct by-pass connected around each inlet-outlet port, a relatively large by-pass duct connected around each bleed-duct by-pass, and a check valve in each said relatively large by-pnss duct opening inwardly of the work cylinder.

15. In a heat treating apparatus, a pair of relatively movable elements, fluid, pressure means for effecting relative movement between said elements, comprising fluid operative relatively reciprocable cylinder and piston members for moving one of said elements relative to the other, a fluid outlet at each end of said cylinder member, means at each end of said cylinder member ior limiting the flow of fluid through said outlet as said piston and end approach each other, and fluid admission means at each end of said cylinder member for admitting actuating fluid between said end and piston member to effect rapid initial movement of said cylinder end and piston member away from each other.

16. In a heat treating apparatus having a work holder, a heating element and a quenching element, means for effecting relativ movement between said work holder and at least one of said heating and quenching elements, comprising fluid operative relatively reciprocable piston and cylinder members for moving said work holder, means for trapping actuating fluid between one end of said cylinder member and said piston member and for slowly bleeding actuating fluid therefrom as said members approach the termination of relative movement in one direction to impede such movement, and means for admitting actuating fluid into said cylinder between said end and piston to effect rapid initial relative movement of said cylinder and piston members in the opposite direction, said trapping and bleeding means comprising a relatively large discharge port and a relatively small bleeding port, said relatively large discharge p rt being closable by said piston member-as it approaches said end of said cylinder member.

HOWARD E. SOMES. 

